Record and controversies

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Environmental record

Block of the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007

On June 28, 2007, Sen. DeMint blocked a deal between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that would have started up long-stalled conference proceedings on the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007. DeMint made an objection to the agreement by phone to the Senate floor, minutes after McConnell had said Republicans would drop their objections to naming conferees. DeMint argued that he would not let the bill proceed until certain earmark reforms were accepted. He stated, "We will not have earmark reform during this year’s appropriations process. That is why this is being done," DeMint charged on the floor, adding later that "the only reason to go to conference with [the rules] in is to take them out." Democrats responded, Harry Reid commenting, "Here we are, seconds from going to conference and a call comes in to the Republican cloak room. I understand the Minority Leader has a responsibility to take that ... but the eyes of the nation are on us... to not let us go to conference on some petty issue that my friend has raised is really bad.”

National security and foreign policy

In early March 2007, the Senate began debate on a security bill (S.4) similar to the one passed by the House. The Senate legislation would drop House-passed provisions that would require that all containers on U.S.-bound vessels be screened in foreign ports for radiation, and all cargo loaded onto U.S. airliners be screened for explosives. Like the House version, the Senate bill contained a provision allowing airport screeners (employees of the Transportation Security Administration) to unionize. The Bush administration declared that the president would veto the bill if the provision was included in any bill which reached his desk. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff echoed Bush’s opposition, arguing that unionization would impede the department’s quick response to possible threats. Sen. DeMint promised to help uphold a veto, telling Bush “If the final bill contains such a provision, forcing you to veto it, we pledge to sustain your veto.”

Biography

DeMint was born September 2, 1951 in Greenville, South Carolina. He was educated at Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, the University of Tennessee and Clemson University. He owned a market research firm in Greenville.

DeMint won the Republican primary for the 4th district in 1998, when Fourth District Congressman Bob Inglis decided to honor a promise to serve only three terms in the House and run against Senator Fritz Hollings. DeMint easily won election in November. The district is considered the most Republican in the state, and he never faced serious or well-funded opposition.

DeMint declared his candidacy for the Senate on December 12, 2002 after Hollings decided to retire after the 2004 elections. DeMint placed a distant second in that primary on June 8, 2004, 18 points behind former South Carolina governor David Beasley. However, he won a convincing victory in the runoff, and faced Democratic state education superintendent Inez Tenenbaum in November. The state's strong support for George W. Bush gave DeMint enough of a push to defeat her by 9.6 percentage points in November.

DeMint favors eliminating the Internal Revenue Service and Federal income tax. Additionally, while in Congress he sponsored legislation that would replace the current system with a 23% national sales tax on all goods and services. He claimed he had signed onto the legislation "to advance the debate" on tax reform, and that he did not specifically favor that version of reform over others.

DeMint also stirred controversy during debates with Tenenbaum when he stated his belief that openly gay people should not be allowed to teach in public schools. [1] When questioned by reporters, DeMint also stated that single mothers who live with their boyfriends should similarly be excluded from being educators. He later apologized for making the remarks without specifically retracting their substantive claims, saying they were "distracting from the main issues of the debate." He also noted that these were opinions based on his personal values, not issues he would or could deal with as a member of Congress. He also favors banning all forms of abortion.[2][3]

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00002472&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

Links to more campaign contribution information for Jim DeMint
from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org site.

Committees: Joint Economic Committee, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Aviation Operations Safety and Security, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce Trade and Tourism, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Oceans Atmosphere Fisheries and Coast Guard, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Science Technology and Innovation, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure Safety and Security, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on Energy, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on Water and Power, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations/Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations Democracy and Human Rights, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations/Subcommittee on European Affairs, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations/Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection